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Four Tales from "The Arabian Nights"

Abdullah the Fisherman and Horse

1948
(Russian, 1887–1985)
Russia, 20th century
color lithograph
Image: 37.6 x 28.6 cm (14 13/16 x 11 1/4 in.); Sheet: 43.2 x 33.3 cm (17 x 13 1/8 in.)
Gift of the Hanna Fund 1948.639
© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris
Catalogue raisonné: Cramer 18; Mourlot 1.70.44
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

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Description

The Arabian Nights, also known as The Thousand and One Nights, tells the story of a king who kills his new brides the morning after their marriage to avoid infidelity. One of his wives, the clever Scheherazade, keeps the king distracted each
night with interconnecting stories that stop at a cliffhanger, thus delaying her execution for another day. Though they were Marc Chagall’s first foray into color lithography, Four Tales won the Graphic Prize at the Venice Biennial in 1948. The fantastic elements from the stories, such as the ifrit (a type of demon), mermen, and flying horses, were particularly well suited for Chagall’s evocative imagery and expressive use of color.
Abdullah the Fisherman and Horse

Abdullah the Fisherman and Horse

1948

Marc Chagall

(Russian, 1887–1985)
Russia, 20th century

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